Englishman Jude Bellingham has put an end to the controversy surrounding the incident that brought him together with Argentina's captain Lionel Messi during the two teams' match in the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup, confirming that what happened was just a normal discussion.
Camera lenses captured an exchange of words and glances between the players following one of the shared balls, leading some to speculate that there was tension between them.
Bellingham explained that the conversation was about a refereeing decision, saying: "We were discussing a foul that the referee called, and nothing bad happened. I know the media has blown it out of proportion, but for me there was no problem."
The Real Madrid player added that he initially thought Messi was talking about a different incident, so he explained to him that he meant the tackle he had suffered, before telling him that he was able to withstand such tackles, stressing that the conversation did not go beyond that point.
Bellingham concluded his remarks by praising the Argentine star, saying: "Playing against Messi is a great honor for me. There was no disagreement between us, and despite the bitterness of the loss, facing him on the field will remain an exceptional experience."
England's dream of reaching the World Cup final came to an end after they lost 2-1 to Argentina in the semi-finals, setting up a third-place match against France on July 19, 2026.
